Match rules determine whether two records should be identified as a match. A match rule has one of these purposes:
Search: Mainly for search user interfaces, but also for duplicate prevention. These match rules support matching by evaluating a series of criteria, with the ones yielding the most precise matches first, to return search results with corresponding match percentage.
Bulk Duplicate Identification: For identifying duplicates for a large number of records at one time, using simple logic for fast processing.
Expanded Duplicate Identification: For identifying or preventing duplicates, using more precise and complex logic than Bulk Duplicate Identification.
Integration Services: For identifying duplicates when creating customers using the Create or Save (create operation) Web services.
Match rules with Bulk or Expanded Duplicate Identification purpose support score-based matching and consist of two parts, acquisition and scoring. Acquisition provides an initial set of possible matches, and scoring assigns scores to attributes to further filter matches and rank the results.
A match rule can be of type:
Single: Contains a single match rule.
Set: Contains multiple match rules and conditions to determine which rule in the set to use. All rules in a set have the same purpose, either Search or Expanded Duplicate Identification.
Match rule sets are particularly useful for country-specific processes or entities. For example, countries use different address attributes. You can define a set that has match rules with different address attributes. The conditions would determine which match rule to use, based on the country attribute.
Creating, Updating, or Copying Match Rules: Aside from letting you create new custom match rules, DQM provides seeded match rules. See: Seeded Match Rules, Oracle Trading Community Architecture Reference Guide.
You can copy and update match rules to meet your specific requirements, or to test variations of an existing custom match rule before you improve or modify the original rule.
See: Defining Single Match Rules and Defining Match Rule Sets.
Compiling Match Rules: After you initially install DQM, you must compile all the seeded match rules before you can use them, even if just to use them for copying. You also need to compile match rules that you create, update, or copy.
Compiled: PL/SQL code for the match rule has been generated. The match rule is locked against changes, but available for use. The lock ensures that the match rule and its compiled PL/SQL code are always synchronized.
Uncompiled: Match rule is previously saved, but now unlocked. An uncompiled match rule cannot be used until it is compiled.
You can use the Match Rules page to compile individual or all match rules, or run the DQM Compile All Rules program to compile all rules. See: DQM Compile All Rules Program.
Suggestion: Compile match rules outside of your organization's operational business hours, or at times when no DQM logic is used. Match rules cannot be compiled when DQM is being used for any process, for example to search for records or identify duplicates.
Before you can compile any match rule, make sure that the staged schema is generated, or run the DQM Staging program. See: DQM Staging Program.
Note: You cannot change a match rule's purpose after the match rule has been compiled at least once.
Viewing Match Rules: Click the match rule name to view the match rule definition. See: Viewing Match Rules.
Deleting Match Rules: Use the Match Rules page to delete any compiled, custom match rules. Before deleting a match rule, you should make sure that it is not used anywhere. If the rule is in use, replace it with another match rule or consider the consequences of deleting the rule.